Earthly Serenity
by Slinky-and-the-BloodyWands
Summary: Serenity finds itself aboard a strange ship whose computers have plotted a course for Earth-that-Was. But when they find Earth and meet D, they realize that things aren't as they should be, including River.
1. Prologue

**_Earthly Serenity_**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to _Vampire Hunter D_ or to _Firefly_.**

**A/N: You don't have to have read the VHD novel _Pale Fallen Angels_ to understand this story completely, but the information on Outer Space Beings (OSBs) comes from that particular story, if you're interested. You'll understand what I'm talking about later in this story, so don't panic at the prologue. Basically, the Nobles (vampires) who were ruling over the Earth at the time were involved in a war with the OSBs. The battle lasted for over a thousand years. Though most are unaware of why the OSBs finally withdrew from Earth, some know that it was due to a weapon formed by the Sacred Ancestor.**

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**Prologue**

The battlefield was a graveyard of twisted metal, the smoldering remains of ships and towers that once housed sworn enemies and allies, soldiers and servants. What appeared to be a fence of lightning along the valley's boarders began to dissipate, leaving behind the occasional strike of light between heaven and Earth. The flashes looked like electrical guardians in the distance, and their quick bursts of light made the night air glow; the pink hue of radiation clouds would be apparent to even human eyes.

Though no so such eyes would ever see this sight. Not for a very long time. And when the humans and the other lower creatures returned, this place of war would be transformed by the erosion of generations.

Above the clouds, there was movement. Ships with great machine legs folded into themselves, their shapes changing as they prepared for take-off into the dark unknown. Their movements were slow, deliberate, and their metal appendages curled like a dying spider's useless limbs. It was as if they waited for a final farewell from the planet they had nearly destroyed.

Continents sunken, cities leveled, mountain ranges flattened into deserts: their legacy remained, but it was theirs to share. These Outer Space Beings could not take all the credit. The ruling species, the Nobility, had done its fair share of damage in trying to save the world they had conquered several millennia ago. Earth had taken over a thousand years of abuse from both parties.

And now the war was over. As was civilization, it seemed, for the fading race of Nobility.

"We have gone too far," a voice whispered.

Darkness in the dark, he wore the night as a cloak. His pale face was undistinguishable, but his form was huge, a giant rising out of the rubble, clothed in his weapon of choice. His head was cocked toward the sky.

The OSB ships seemed to feel his eyes. They, prepared at last, disappeared in the length of a heartbeat, moving at speeds faster than any Earth ship.

He, the Sacred Ancestor as his race knew him, nodded slightly at their retreat. It was as he expected. Finally, he had created something they feared, something that Earth feared as well. Something he hoped he would never have to release to its full extent.

The Sacred Ancestor glided through the field like death's shadow and approached the nearly unscathed airship terminal. He stepped within its wide foyer and to its elevator. So many floors passed by, but he did not stop until he was at the central command level.

"Is my request ready?" he asked the shadows.

"Yes, my lord. The ship is ready for launch," a feminine voice answered. It belonged to the terminal's intelligent computer. "It awaits orders for its return, your honor."

"When it has gathering the data I requested. . ." The dark figure paused, as if rethinking his statement. "It may return when the OSBs are again a threat."

"As you wish."

"Launch," the Sacred Ancestor commanded.

The Noble's hands curled at his sides, as if in anticipation. A slight tremble ran through the terminal's steel structure, and his tension seemed to fade.

"It is done," the voice said, at last. "Is there anything else you may require?"

With a swift turn, the Sacred Ancestor stepped into the elevator again. He didn't bother to answer the computer. Her sensory hardware knew that he was prepared to leave, but her need to serve was greater than any living or undead creature's. He didn't bother to ask her the question plaguing his mind: what did they want the humans for?

The Nobility took them as servants, as food. And for experiments, of course. But the OSBs were leaving. Why did they need this species?

The elevator came to a stop on the ground floor, and the Noble stepped out onto the smooth, reflective floor of the terminal. He could see outside again. The sky was empty of ships, and the Earth was quiet. It had been robbed of thousands of living humans. The Sacred Ancestor felt no grief for these numbers—many more of these lesser creatures had been killed during that fateful millennia now passed. But what did the OSB need with so many living subjects if they were not coming back with new warriors to face the Nobility?

"Will they return?" he asked the night. She held no answers.


	2. Chapter 1: Waking

**Disclaimer: I do not own _Vampire Hunter D_ or_ Firefly_. **

**A/N: This doesn't pick up during a particular episode; the job mentioned in the first scene isn't from the show. Pretty much, all you need to know is that this is before **_**Serenity**_**. **

**Chapter 1: Waking**

She watched from afar. Always from afar. If she moved any closer, they would be much too loud, too loud for her to hear their mouths.

"They don't deserve a Gorram share of it!" Jayne fumed. A vein throbbed against the man's slick forehead. He jerked off of the cargo box he was propped against, throwing a muscular arm in the nervous doctor's direction. "That one didn't do a ruttin' thing, and the crazy 'bout got us caught by the Alliance. Why should they be rewarded with a share?"

"That's not fair," Kaylee reasoned, before Simon had a chance to defend himself. She stepped forward, pulling her thumbs out of the band around her coveralls. "It wasn't River's fault from what I hear."

River leaned forward at the sound of her own name. She sat above the cargo area, watching the fight below with a feline's distant curiosity, her eyes wide and innocent. She swung her legs slightly, seeing the tension growing in Jayne's limbs.

Zoe raised a hand to stop Kaylee. "It's the captain's orders," she said, her voice soft and commanding. Her dark eyes took in the man with one warning glance. "They did their part."

Her words silenced the rowdy man for only a moment.

"Well don't 'spect me to be happy 'bout it," he muttered, turning away from her, an almost childlike pout on his face.

River's legs grew still, and she cocked her head to one side, her eyes trailing from the excitement to Mal's growling form as he took the stairs down two at a time.

"Havin' a discussion without me?" Mal asked, his face lacking the humor of his tone.

The captain's eyes were heavy, determined to end the conversation between his lively crew members. River smiled to herself and pressed her forehead against the cool metal bar beside her. She liked it when peoples' minds were made up. They weren't as loud after they'd stopped thinking.

A shiver ran through her body, and she sucked in a deep, painful breath. Faster than reasonably possible, her mood switched, and she jumped to her feet. She could feel anxiety bubbling inside her but couldn't find a proper way to release it.

"Awake," she called.

Her voice rung out, stopping Mal from whatever comment was about to leave his mouth. The debate stopped of its own accord and tense faces turned to take in the panicked girl.

"It was sleeping," she explained, "but now it's awake." Her words trailed off. The youth of her face was distorted as her expression contorted from one of fear to one of frustration. "Simon," she pleaded, as if he should be able to understand, "it's awake."

"What's awake, River?" Simon asked, his voice calm. A gentle prodding.

River shook her head, angry that he hadn't interpreted her warning. She shot off, running towards the bridge. She could hear the quick tap of footsteps against the metal behind her but ignored them. Wash turned in his seat, surprise written on his face when she grabbed hold of his shoulders and shook him violently.

"Turn around," she growled at the stunned pilot. "It'll catch us!"

Her eyes grew wide when she looked up at the tan, outer planet Serenity was quickly approaching. The girl's anger dissipated, and she released Wash, stepping backwards, bouncing off of the captain approaching her. She flung herself away from him and into Simon's breathless form. Kaylee and Jayne ran in behind, nearly trampling the doctor in their haste.

Words began, all at once, but she couldn't make them out. She just watched. Mal saw her expression and his eyes followed hers.

"That can't. . ." he breathed. Mal's hand shot up, pointed out at the small planet. "That's not right."

"What are you . . .?" Wash turned to see what the rest of the group was staring at. His jaw dropped when he took in the surface of the planet. "Ai yā! What's happening to it?"

The planet itself was sparsely populated; only a strangling handful of settlers had remained to populate the few poor towns still attempting to grow in the near desert area. The shipment in the cargo hull was for one of those towns. The very one that appeared as if it was being toppled from the inside out. If the crew had not been watching, they would have assumed that the planet had been hit by an asteroid or atmospheric debris. In the seconds since Wash had last looked out at their destination, a portion of the surface had peeled away, creating a cavernous shift of rock and dirt. A huge structure protruded out towards the layer of atmosphere, its movement leveling the town it had been buried beneath.

"Lockstown," Kaylee cried, a hand over her mouth. Simon's hand reached behind him to grab her free one. He squeezed her tightly.

"It's gone!" Wash hissed, leaning forward.

"What the hell just came out of that planet?" Jayne snapped. "That wasn't natural, gorramit. . ."

The crew was unable to answer the question. They watched as the object, as wide as the small town, lifted off, throwing rocks and dust into the atmosphere.

"Looks a mighty lot like a ship," Zoe breathed, stepping to the captain's side. "It's lifting off."

And it was. It seemed to be moving slowly from the distance, the surface it had scooped off into space mere pebbles if one didn't know better, but it must have been moving rather fast because the Firefly had been brought to a near stop with a gesture from the shocked pilot, and the ship rising away from the planet appeared to be moving closer to Serenity.

"Is that an Alliance ship?" Simon asked.

Mal shook his head slightly, unable to look away. "Looks a bit like a station, but. . ."

He didn't have to complete his thoughts. The crew could see the difference in an instant. The ship had unfolded strangely jagged legs. The legs were maneuvering forward. "Get us out of here," Mal snapped, a shiver running down his back as he took in those massive, insect like legs. His mind had already found a purpose for them—weapons. "Now, Wash!"

Wash sputtered a reply, his hands jerking in movement. "It's not working!"

River turned her face away from her brother's chest. "It's too late," she said, her eyes wet and lost. "It's awake now. And it's hungry."

Rushed footsteps approached from behind the crew. Mal recognized the Sheppard 's walk before the older man peered in from around Jayne's form.

"I heard a commotion," Book explained, his voice trailing off when no one looked back at him.

Mal was over Wash's shoulder, staring down at the useless controls. The men cursed under their breath, all but slapping the handle in frustration. Mal took on his role as captain, turning back to the crew.

"Kaylee, get to the engine and see if it's something on our end," he commanded, instantly regretting his choice of words. It was all but saying that he thought the new ship's presence was causing the Firefly's sudden problem. "Sheppard, Doc, take your sister and get to Inara's shuttle. Tell her to take off immediately. Jayne, Zoe, get the second shuttle ready."

Kaylee had already disappeared down the corridor. Simon nodded and turned, but River twisted out of his grasp, grabbing hold of Mal's arm.

"Too late," she hissed.

Mal felt anger surge through him. He wanted to shout at the girl, tell her to do what he said, but he stopped himself, seeing the movement out of the corner of his eyes.

"She's not wrong," Wash whispered, a tremor in his voice. His knuckles were white as he jerked at the reluctant controls. His hands quickly loosened, and the controls turned of their own accord, shifting the small ship in the direction of the predator outside. "Too late," he echoed.

Zoe sat down in the chair beside her husband, bracing herself for impact. The rest of the crew did likewise, holding tight to the structure around them in anticipation. It wouldn't help, not at the speed of approach.

Serenity was overtaken by the black shadow of the machine before her. The other ship's massive body blocked off even the slightest hint of starlight, and its jutting limbs surrounded the Firefly in a metal embrace. They were going in at the center, where the weapon legs had been when it had risen out of the planet. And they would hit in seconds. A shock white sliver of light appeared out of the black, blinding the crew in the instant before impact.

"It ate us."

Mal didn't have to look up to know River's voice. In fact, he couldn't look anywhere. Where the hell had that light come from? He shielded his face from the white, but it dulled, as if with his gesture. He stared out the bridge window in awe at their pale, surroundings.

"What happened?" Wash asked.

"We're inside." Mal shook his head in disbelief. He looked down at the shaking girl beside him. "The gorram thing was hungry."


	3. Chapter 2: Ship

**Disclaimer: I do not own **_**Vampire Hunter D**_** or**_** Firefly**_**.**

**A/N: Thanks for the positive feedback! I really appreciate it. **

**Chapter 2: Ship  
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The fortress was built into the mountain. Once, it had been great in size and beauty. Where the dull moonlight cast a yellowing glow over the deadened land before the structure, gardens of a thousand night bloomers had blossomed out to meet their masters. But that was a different time, and now the columns that framed the walkway were pebbles and those lost flowers mere weeds sprouting up between the stony remains like cemetery ornaments. As for the dwelling in the mountain, it was a husk of its former self, but a dangerous skeleton nevertheless.

Evil lived within this forgotten fragment of the age of the nobility. Of the technology within, the experiments of centuries ago, nothing was more dangerous than the noble who had taken this dwelling of his kind as his own.

At least he was the greatest threat the small village in the neighboring valley knew. The mountain rumbled in argument of the point.

Loose boulders spilled down the almost flat face of nature's figurehead, but they did little damage. Nevertheless, in the minute following the fortress's wide, hidden entrance slid open and a cloud of dust and debris poured out, spilling over the decimated gardens. The fortress had collapsed in on itself, and its ruin sent a whirlwind of choking smoke into the air. It became a cloud over the rock slide, floating in wait, perhaps, for the one who had released it from the stale airs of the noble's dwelling.

The rocks had no time to settle. Out of them rose a figure with a sword strapped to his back and a far-reaching, beaten hat upon his head.

D stepped down the debris, letting the dust fall off of his black cape as he moved. There was a slight hack from his form, but it didn't come from his mouth. The dhampir opened his left fist but didn't look down at the parasite on his palm. D, his face as perfect as a figure carved of stone and just as expressionless, approached the woods just out of the gardens without a word to his constant companion or the destroyed fortress.

A black cyborg horse awaited him. His shoulders tightened as he prepared to saddle his transportation.

Then something very strange happened: Vampire Hunter D began to beep.

D paused mid-motion, coming to a wide stand and staring down at his right side.

"What the hell is that?" his left hand snapped. "You getting a call?"

D raised a confused brow at the parasite, unsure of the reference for a moment. Then he shook his head. The dhampir answered Left Hand by reaching into a small pocket built onto his expansive belt. He pulled out a slim, oval piece of metal. At its center was a white gem. Or, at the least, it had been a white gem earlier. Now, it's slick, foggy surface was fading to a black blue color.

"Noble," Left Hand said. The tiny, crinkled face on D's palm was lifted to stare at the device. "Didn't you pick this up at that airship terminal a few years back? Why you been holding on to it for so long?"

"It seemed important," D said.

"A keepsake, then," the hand answered. "That's not like you at all, D."

D didn't reply, staring more intently at the metal oval's gemstone. Normal human eyes wouldn't have been able to make out the new details appearing on the surface, but D could see them plainly as they formed. The gem was not simply gaining color, it was gaining a very elaborate, moving image. D watched as the star-dotted landscape of space crawled over the gem. A moment later a larger object covered up most of the black background. It was silver in tone, mechanical. A ship, he knew for certain. A ship he recognized, in fact.

It looked very much like a usable version of the ones torn to ruins at the battlefield of the nobility, the very battlefield sitting before the airship terminal that had provided the device.

"It activated on its own," D said, answering an unasked question.

The device had stopped beeping. The ship seemed to remain at the gem's center, but the stars around it appeared to be mere streaks. It was moving fast, indeed, if the image was blurred to a dhampir's eyes.

His left hand sighed, acknowledging what the image must be.

"What you going to do about this, D?" Left Hand asked.

The hunter pocketed the device and jumped up, gracefully saddling his cyborg horse. He turned the mechanical creature around, holding to the reins with his right hand. Galloping towards the village who'd hired him, D made his intentions clear.

"Collect my sum," he answered.

Left Hand's crackling laughter escaped the fist.

**o)0(o**

The light hurt her eyes. She'd dreamt of light like this before, of being blinded. It usually happened just before the pain set in. Why did they want to open the cargo door? She'd warned them, and now they were letting it in.

It was too late to turn off the lights.

River's breathing quickened slightly as she leaned into Simon's vest.

"You smell too clean, Simon," she said.

Simon held back the laugh at his lips, his own anxiety not allowing it to escape. He patted her head gently, holding to her. "It's alright, _mei mei_."

"Stay here," Mal said.

He didn't direct the words towards her, but his mind did. River knew, but she didn't acknowledge him with a glance.

Mal was the first to step down the cargo ramp, Zoe at his side, weapon drawn and her dark eyes darting. But the room, the bay, the ship had landed in remained non-threatening, white walled and empty of any other ship.

"There's something off about this, sir," Zoe noted, her voice low for the crew's sake.

"We're in a ship that was buried under a town, 'course something's off," Mal answered, striding away from her.

The captain put his hand up to stop any of his other crew members from stepping down the ramp. He reached the floor of the bay and walked to one side of the Firefly and then to the other, as if quickly inspecting his precious ship. But his eyes were barely darting over Serenity's graceful form. He was checking the walls surrounding them. Each was a two minute walk away, as best he could judge from the bright whiteness of the room and each was made up of large white squares, perhaps containing the lights. Mal was of a mind to think a door was behind one of them.

River turned from Simon. She leaned out the cargo opening, her eyes on the captain. "No escape," she told him.

Mal stopped, staring at the girl for a moment.

"You are correct," a woman's voice answered.

It didn't come from the crew. In fact, it didn't seem to come from a place. It came from every place, every square on every wall.

"There is no escape. Nor is there any reason for escape. Welcome to Bay 6. Please remain calm and stay within your vessel."

Mal's eyes flickered to annoyance for half a second before he replied, "Who the hell are you?"

There was no answer.

"It woke up," River said. "And now it can't sleep."

"You are correct," the voice answered again. "I am the computer navigational system for this shuttle. I cannot be deactivated once I'm engaged. Please remain calm and stay within your vessel. You will be arriving at your destination shortly."

"Destination?" Mal asked.

No answer came, at least not from the computer.

River took a step back from the ramp, her eyes stinging. She could feel the crew watching her. Knowing, somewhere inside but not saying with words. . .all of them were thinking so hard. They wondered _why_ many times. _Why_ us? _Why_ here? River caught Mal's eye: _why _did the computer only answer her?

And then he became too loud for her to hear.

River covered her ears and screamed.


End file.
